Job Prospects Dim for Graduating Seniors

Seniors and graduate students leaving Harvard next June will have a tougher time finding a job than recent graduates, according to a survey cited yesterday in the Chronicle of Higher Education.

The study—conducted by the Collegiate Employment Research Institute at Michigan State University—found that “members of the Class of 2002 can expect a 6 percent to 13 percent contraction in the labor market” this year.

In the wake of the economic uncertainty that followed the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the National Bureau of Economics Research’s revelation that the economy has been in a recession since March, few seniors seem surprised at the news.

“Going through the recruiting process this year, you can just tell how bad the job market is, especially compared to the last two or three years,” said Melanie L. Forbes ’02. “Administrators, recruiters and older friends are all telling us how bad things look in corporate offices these days.”

Graduates with technical degrees are likely to see the biggest change in the job market. According to the survey, the “number of engineering jobs for new graduates will be down 10 percent, and computer-science jobs will be down 17 percent.”

Computer Science concentrator Nicholas C. Murphy ’02 said that the job prospects he has encountered in the recruiting process this year are not as good as he had hoped.

“I have a couple of prospects, but I think that it is a lot harder to get a job this year than in the past. Start-up companies were always looking for people. Now you really have to search for a job,” Murphy said.

Most students looking to enter the labor force have said that they have fewer choices than they expected.

“Last year I was certain that I could get the job of my choice in the city of my choice, but today I’m much less optimistic. Now I’m hoping to get any job,” Forbes said.

While corporate-minded students are watching the economy closely, students who do not aspire to start careers in business or technology say they are less concerned about job prospects.

Sarah D. Beller ’03 says that the recent decrease in available jobs has not changed her career plans.

“I want to work in education or for a non-profit. Those jobs might be down a little, too, but I’m not too worried. There are always people who need to learn,” Beller said.

Some students have found that the slowing economy is actually benefitting them.

Kelley N. Johnson ’02 plans to take advantage of the deferment option that Monitor Company offered her and spend next year in Spain.

“I didn’t want to study abroad while I was here because I didn’t want to miss anything on campus. I am excited to have the opportunity to go abroad now,” she said.

But for many graduating students who are currently test the waters, sending out early job applications, they just hope that graduating with a Harvard degree and multiple skills will be enough to get them a secure position in the workforce.

“Does the fact that statistics show that the job market is down mean that Harvard students are going to end up unemployed and eating in soup kitchens? Probably not,” Patrick T. Noble ’01-’02 said. “It just means that many Harvard students might have to start thinking less corporate.”